1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing system and a printing apparatus which are configured to be capable of performing square back processing, a job processing method, a storage medium, and a program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, there has been proposed a POD (Print On Demand) printing system using an electrophotographic printing apparatus or an inkjet printing apparatus (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications No. 2004-310746 and No. 2004-310747). The POD printing system of this type is advantageous in that block copy preparation and other complicated operations required by an offset plate making printer can be dispensed with.
On the other hand, in the POD market, there can be demands for creating various forms of printouts. For example, there can be a demand for creating a printout subjected to saddle-stitching bookbinding (hereinafter also referred to “saddle-stitched brochure”) having a special form obtained e.g. by performing a squaring process for making square the back of a saddle-stitched brochure (such that a square back is formed). To perform a squaring process such that the back of a saddle-stitched brochure is flattened (i.e. roundness of the back is suppressed) is referred to as square back (or square hold) processing. There has been proposed a technique for performing the square back processing by a special post-processing apparatus (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-159894).
However, the above-mentioned post-processing apparatus capable of performing the square back processing is configured to be usable as an offline finisher provided independently of a printing apparatus. For this reason, an operator (or a user) is required to carry out work for taking out a printout after execution of printing by the printing apparatus, and manually setting the printout in the post-processing apparatus.
In view of this situation, it can be expected that the POD market or the like will demand a printing system in which a post-processing apparatus capable of creating a saddle-stitched brochure subjected to square back processing can be made use of as an inline finisher connectable to a printing apparatus, in the future. Further, it can be expected that there will be a demand for a printing system which is capable of carrying out an entire process from print processing executed by a printing apparatus to creation of a saddle-stitched brochure subjected to square back processing, in the future.
In a case where a printing system is configured to be capable of meeting the above-mentioned demands, it is preferable to prevent occurrence of a trouble due to the fact that the system is configured to be capable of performing the process from print processing to square back processing.
However, the present situation is not such that the above-mentioned possible problem of occurrence of the trouble is tackled to provide a countermeasure for making such a printing system commercially available/practical, and hence, no research has been made on a mechanism for preventing occurrence of troubles that can occur in the following situations:
For example, when saddle stitching without square back processing is designated in a job including printing of a large number of sheets, a created printout is formed to have an arcuate bulge in a portion of a sheet bundle thereof extending from the back of the sheet bundle toward an opposite end (fore edge) of the same, which can cause collapse of a stack of printouts. Further, in this case, the printout is not attractive in finished quality (appearance).
On the other hand, when saddle stitching including square back processing is designated in a job including printing of a small number of sheets, the back of a created printout is crushed or protruded when printouts are stacked, which can cause collapse of a stack of printouts.
As described above, when the printing system is constructed to be capable of performing square back processing, there is a possibility of a new trouble of inadvertently creating a saddle-stitched brochure defective in appearance and/or stackability, which is unexpected by an operator.